I (M, 46, ASD1) have been feeling very overstimulated today. Everything has me on edge and everything is too much (this isn’t the first time I have felt this). I want to say I have a headache and call it a day, but that isn’t it this is that different thing. I mean if I am honest it’s going to cause me to have a headache but that isn’t how it started. This is that supernova inside that feels like the edge of something. That feeling of “if you know what’s good for you” but you just can’t say it out loud.
I am late diagnosis and I really never got support or words for this. I was hoping someone here could help me. Is there something I can do? Is there a name for this? Is it appropriate to warn people about this? I am really irritable, is it healthy for me to be masking this as hard as I am and just screaming about it later when I can? I know how I have dealt with all of this all of these years and frankly it has lead to a lot of other mental health problems. So really any words of wisdom would be welcome.
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Excuse yourself from whatever situation is overstimming you and take a beather my friend.
Look in to noise cancelling headphones or noise reducing ear plugs (brand name “loops”) as noise is a very common stim for ASD. My wife got a pair of bose noise cancelling headphones for christmas and its the best thing shes ever bought for her being able to just block out the world, relax and step away from the metaphorical edge.
Dont force yourself to stay in the situation without any sort of tools to help.
If you don’t mind the feeling of having ear plugs or earbuds in your ears, I have found that the Flare Audio “Quiet” earplugs really take the edge off the world. They don’t prevent you from hearing in general, but rather they dramatically reduce frequencies above some pitch (I forget), which my brain often interprets as pain or like I’m being attacked.
Not spending my day under constant “assault” by the sound of fans or my young child’s high-pitch excited voice REALLY helps me to not get overwhelmed so easily.
I had several days in a row recently where I’ve gotten really panicked and close to snapping because of feeling overwhelmed, and I started wearing these again and it made it much, much easier to come down from that feeling.
